Plural lamp-socket.



R. B. BENJAMIN.

PLURAL LAMP SOCKET.

APPLICATION IILBD DBO. as, 1907.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

1 m m mm a 58 n 3 m E 1 0 a. a 6 9 4 B RQX m l// n. 1. W 2 ml W m X ULSI E ST TIQQEATENT OFFICE.

REiIBEN 13; BENJAMIN, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MA UFACTURING- COMPANY, or GHICAGO, ILLINoIs, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

PLURAL LAMP-SOCKET. I

Application filed December 28, 1907. Serial No. 408,408.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '7, 1909.

' objects the provision of a device of this class in Which the lamps, carried thereby are separatel controllable, so as to provide forthe ciregu ation ofthe number of lamps which are blllrning at one time.

. Another object is to provide a plural lamph ding device which is of simple and economical-construction.

A still further object is to provide such a device which may be readily changed to vary the number of lamps which the device is adapted to carry.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device with the back plate removed; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same, the section being taken on the line 2'--2 of Fig. 1, part of the interior construction being shown in elevation; Fig. 3 is a broken elevational detail showing a method of preventing the rotation of a lamp holder in its opening in the casing.

In the several figures of the drawings, in which like, reference numerals indicate the same parts throughout, 5 is the lower portion of the casing consisting of a substantially hemispherical shell, the upper edge of which is expanded at 6 to a slightly larger diameter than the vmain portion. The back plate 7 forms the remainder of the casing and extends intothe ei'ilargcd portion 6 of the hemispherical shell 5 when the parts are assembled, being held in. place therein by a. bayonet connection col-uprising a series of slots 8, preferably three 'innumbeigin the back plate, and corresponding imvardly-projet-ting pins 9 on the shell 5. Leading downwardly from the slots 8.- are passages 10, through which the pins 9 pass when the shell 5 is being putup in place, whcrel'iy these pins are led into the slots 8. A tter the pins 9 have passed into the slots the shell is given a slight rotation to carry these pins to the inner ends of the slots.

in the casin The shell-5 is provided with a circularlyarranged series of openings, as many iii-nun her as the number of lam 's which it is desired that the device shal carry. 1 have illustrated herein a casing provided with four such openings. In each of these openings is arranged a lamp-receiver comprising an insulating bushing 11 having a portion 12 of reduced diameter. are passcd'through the openings in thecasing from the inside of said casing, and are held against rotation in the openings by These bushings forming eachof the bushings with a pair of diametrically opposite grooves 13, 13 and providing on the casing a air of corresponding tongues 14, 14 which, when the bushing is passed out through the opening occupy the grooves 13', 13 in the bushing. The bushings are held against inward movement by the insulating base 15,

which is formed with inclined converging sides '16 hearing against the bushings 11. After the bushings 11 and base 15have been put in place in the casing the base 15 is secured in place by means of a' bolt 17, ex-

tcndiug centrally through the base and ms ing and provided with a nut 18 onthe exterior of the casing.

I l eh of the lamp-holders is provided with an outer contact member which, when the device is adapted for Edison lamps, will take the fo 'm of a threaded shell 1!). This threaded shell is provided with an outturned flange 20 which engages the inner circumference of the bushing and prevents thc'shcll being drawn outward when the lamp .is screwed into 'the same.

This shell 19 is further provided with retaining means in the form of a pair of latcrallynxtending tongues 21 and 22. Over the tongue lies a plate 251 provided with a binding screw 24. This plate 23 is held in place by means of a screw 25, the head of which is sunk in the bushing 11, and which passes through the plate 2?) and tongue a separate binding tern'iinal is provided for each of the sockets, whereby it ismado possible, by the use of proper wiring and suitable switching means, to control each lamp or to combine these lamps in groups of such numbers as may be desired. If this grouping" feature be not desired, a wire or' other suitable conductor may be arranged to connect all of these binding terminals together.

Center lam -terminal-cn"a in 7 11103115 are l i By this means provided for the sockets, this means con- Having thus described my invention what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Lettcrs Patent is:

1. hi a plural lamp-holding device, a casing, insulating lamp-holding means carried by said casing, separate outer contacts for said lamp-holding means, a separate binding terminal for each of said outer contacts, a continuous center contact for all of said lamp-holding devices, a binding terminal is held in place on said for-said center contact member, and a base carrying said center contact and its binding terminal, said base being removable independently of said outer contacts or their binding lerminals.

2. in a plural lamp holding' device, a casing having lamp-receivii'ig openings, outer lamp-terimnal-eiigaging members carried by said casing and corresponding to said'openings, each ol said members having its own binding terminal, an inner contact opposite each of said openings, a binding terminal common to all of said inner contacts, and a base to which said common binding terminal is secured, said base being secured in said casing independently oi said outer lampterminal engaging members and removableindependently 01 said members.

3. in a plural lamp-holding device, a casing having lamp-receiving openings, an outer contact corresponding to each of said openings, an inner contact common to all of said openings, separate binding terminals v for said outer contacts, and a base carrying said inner contact and made removable independently oi? said outer contacts.

l. in a plural lamp-holding device, a casing having la'mp-recciving openings, an insaluting bushing in each of said openings,

a tireadctl shell in each of said bushings, a binding terminal loi' each oi said threaded shells, an insulating member within said casairanged to engage said bushings ainl 15d the same in said openings,'an annular contact member extending around said in-' saluting mi-mbe' and forming a center conl:lt'l for engagement with all of the lamps, and a binding terminal for said annular cuutact. member.

3;. ln aplural. lamp-holding device, the

combination ol a casing, conducting lampreceiving shells carried by said asing,'an individual binding terminal for each of said shells carried by and insulated from the easing,an insulating member located within said *asing and secured therein independently of said shells, and means carried by said insulating member for electrically connecting with the center terminals of lamps inserted into said shells.

6. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination of a casing, conducting lampreeeiving shellscarried by said casing and insulated therefrom, an independent bind-- ing terminal for each of said shells, an iiisulating member within said casing, secured therein independently of said shells, and means carried by said insulating member for electrically connecting with the center terminals of lamps inserted into said shells.

'4'. ln a plural lamp-holding device, the combination of a casing having a plurality of openings, an insulaiiug lamp-receiving member in each oi' said openings, a lam engaging contact secured in each of said insulatmg members, independent binding leiminals therefor secured to said insulating members, and a second contact. within said casing corresponding to each of said lampreceiving mcmlarrs.

8. in a plural lamp-holding device, the combination of a casing having a plurality of openings, an insult iting l:t|il])-l'0t'tl\liL-' member inserted into each of said openings from the inside ot' said casing, a lamp-engaging contact secured in each of said insulating members, independent binding terminals secured to said insulating members, a base insertible into said casing after said insulating members have been placed in position and arranged to engage said insulating members and thereby liold said members in'posit'ion, and means carried by said base for engaging the center terminals of the lamps.

9. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination of a casing having a plurality ol. openings, an insulating lamp-receiving member inserted into each of said openings from the inside of the casing, a base insorted into said casing after said insulating members have been placed in position and arranged to hold said members in position, a threaded shell in each of said insulating m'embers,aml means on said base for engaging the center teimiuals o'l' said members.

In \vitncssiwhercol, [have hereunto subscribed my'name in the presence of two \\'itnesses.

ltlCUlil lN l. BENJAMIN.

\Vit nesses:

M. L. FARRAR, CHARLES L. l-loriiixs. 

